The Ryutin Affair, one of the last attempts of the Soviet Communist Party to oppose Stalin, took place in 1932, when Martemyan Ryutin, an Old Bolshevik, decided to secretly oppose the controversial Soviet leader. In a nearly 200-page document now known as the "Ryutin Platform," he called for Stalin's elimination and a "fresh start," but he was soon identified as the author, imprisoned, and ultimately executed. What happened when Stalin initially proposed the death penalty for Ryutin?More...

In 1988, Cornell University student Robert Morris launched a program supposedly aimed at measuring the size of the Internet. He had designed the ostensibly harmless program to count the computers connected to the small but growing Web by copying itself to each unit. Due to a design flaw, however, the program spread wildly, repeatedly copying itself to some computers and rendering them useless. A large part of the Internet was affected by the so-called Morris worm. What was Morris's punishment?More...

A native southerner and friend of Andrew Jackson, Polk was elected president of the US in 1845. During his administration, the US made large territorial gains. Polk peacefully negotiated the Oregon border dispute with Britain, while the US victory in the Mexican War secured much of the West. Though an efficient and competent president, Polk was exhausted by the time he left office, and he died three months later. Despite his happy marriage, he had no children. What likely rendered him sterile?More...

Quotation of the Day

To found principles of government upon too advantageous an estimate of the human character is an error of inexperience, the source of which is so amiable that it is impossible to censure it with severity.

The Rastafarians of Jamaica worship Haile Selassie I, "Might of the Trinity." His original name was Tafari Makonnen, and he was emperor of Ethiopia under the name Ras (meaning "Prince") Tafari. Rastafarians consider the Ethiopian emperor the Messiah and son of God, and the champion of their race. The Rastafarians' most important celebration is the anniversary of Haile Selassie's Coronation Day, which occurred on November 2, 1930. The dedication of babies to Ras Tafari, recitations, and singing are typically part of the celebrations on this day.More...

Move over, Charlie Brown: NASA has found its own Great Pumpkin, and it’s quite a bit greater. Using data from NASA’s Kepler and Swift survey missions, astronomers have discovered a group of fast-spinning, X-ray slinging orange giants. These “pumpkin ...More...

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